Political Differences
by cinnabari
Summary: Take one interTribal Moot, three Glasswalkers, a baby Black Fury and a table of Get... shake well...


Political Differences

I should know better, by now, than to leave my pack.

Generally, the reasons I should not leave Tonio and Joachim alone while we are at an inter-Tribal moot - and in a bar, at that - relate more to Joachim's mouth and that we've garnered more than a few grudges in our time. Any _one_ of us becomes a target. Three makes the odds a little nicer, when you have five or six Get coming to teach us about honor, courage, or whatever nonsense they are spouting at the time. And three of us against the world at large is how we work, and how I think of us. It's not right when there are only two.

Or one. _Damn_, I knew better. 

It was innocuous enough: just go to the bar, bring our drinks back to the table. No reason to send everyone. The boys were in the middle of a game called 'Stare at the Table of Get and See Who Has the Bigger Dick.' Clearly _I_ could not compete, so I volunteered to go. 

And that was where the Fury ambushed me. She just came up beside me at the bar, and leaned on the stool beside me. I glanced at her, because it's good to know who's sitting by you, and went back to watching the Fianna Kin behind the counter running himself ragged, trying to keep up with a bar full of Garou. She was a little thing, and very young. I thought she was a Child or a Fianna, with that long hair in a ponytail, those wide blue eyes. 

"You're Devon Renaud," she said. And when I snapped around to stare at her, she added, "I've heard about you." 

"No you haven't," I told her reflexively. Gods knew what she _had_ heard; Alpha Pack has a mixed reputation, for causing trouble and getting the job done, and sometimes in that order. And I looked closer at her, because she was staring: such an earnest face. Such a nice, shiny labrys on the chain around her neck. My eyes narrowed. "Fury," I said flatly. I know the tone I use when I say that name. 

She blushed instead of taking offense. I wondered if she'd even undergone a Rite of Passage yet, or if this was it: irritate the Glasswalker and defeat her in combat. If so, she was halfway there and bound to fail. Face red, she tried again. "My name is Diana."

I used the glare that's made Joachim shut up; it worked on young Black Furies, too. "What an original Fury name. What do you want?" 

She would not quite meet my eyes, and blurted defensively: "I just wanted to tell you that I admire what you have done in your career. You are a great example of what a female Garou can - "

I rolled my eyes, cut her off. "I'm so pleased my accomplishments reflect well on my gender." I approximated a smile (no teeth), and turned back to the bartender. As he caught my eye and started for me, a particularly loud voice at the far end of the bar demanded "Beer!" - we both peered down at the newly arrived, very large, and already inebriated Fianna. Jack shot me an apologetic look, and scuttled prudently to the newest arrival. "Merde," I muttered. 

Diana leaned in close to my elbow. "I was wondering if I could ask you something - "

"Are you still here?" I was pleasantly surprised to see I was several inches taller. I so rarely get a chance to loom over people. I did now, and forced her back a step. Bad Devon, for enjoying the intimidation. "Tell you what, Fury, you have until Jack gets back with my drinks. Then you go away." 

She blinked at me, still undaunted. "Are you lonely, without sisters?"

My turn to blink. That went down as one of the stupidest questions... but she was young, and Fury, and probably hadn't even realized there is a box outside of which she should think. "My pack leader's a woman. So is our boss. What are you talking about?"

Diana looked meaningfully over at the table, at Tonio and Joachim. "_Those_ are your pack, aren't they? Men."

Maybe she wasn't as stupid as she looked. If Diana had heard of _me_, she'd heard of _us_. Ah. "Look," I said with exaggerated patience. "You said you admired my career. I would not have one except for them. I'd be dead. I won't lie to you and say I haven't had my share of sexism over the years. But - " I held up a hand, forestalling what promised to be enthusiastic male-bashing - "_but_. " Think of Max, only the most extreme in a long series of classically Ahroun males. We'd beaten him. "I am better for it." 

Her eyes were bright with the fanaticism of the young. "But it's not fair that you work twice as hard to be taken seriously! That wouldn't happen in the Furies - " 

I felt my face freeze. _This_ again. "What, is this a recruitment speech? Go away, Diana." I tried to turn away from her, and glanced over to check on Joachim and Tonio. The contest with the Get had fizzled, apparently. Pity. I was in a sudden mood for violence. I caught Joachim's eye across the room_. Help, damn you. Get me away from this child_. 

The damned brat promptly scooted around in front of me, said earnestly, "Wouldn't you like to be taken for who you are, and not have to prove all the time that you are just as good as them?" Her eyes clung to my face like sticky hands.

I met them, and was gratified to see her mouth snap shut. "You are _really_ beginning to - "

"Devon!" Joachim's voice, booming across the bar. I glanced over at him; he gave me the 'what the hell is the problem' look and stared pointedly my empty hands. I pointed down the bar at the Fianna, shrugged - pointed, too, at my companion, and kept my face carefully neutral. His eyes rolled in an parody of impatience done for the audience's benefit. "Hurry up!" Watching, I knew, to see if my little shadow had an entertaining reaction. Of course she did. 

Diana followed the exchange, and scowled. "He treats you like a barmaid." 

I laughed before I caught myself - _ah, Joachim, always pushing things to see just how much worse they can get_. And then, because I was annoyed by her attitude: "Don't your packmates ask you to do things sometimes?" 

Her face closed down. "It's not the same." 

"The hell it's not. That _man_ back there" - and I pointed at Joachim, who blew me a kiss - "is my friend. He's joking. Grow up and stop reading Eisler." 

"He just _blew you a kiss._" She cast what she thought was a withering glare at Joachim. Joachim, immune to withering, grinned broadly and nudged Tonio, who also looked over at us. My partner did not blow kisses, but the bastard winked at me. Diana's eyes got even wider. 

"So what?" I shrugged, pretending I hadn't seen Tonio, who'd clearly been corrupted by prolonged contact with Joachim. "He's also charged into fomori and gunfire after me before. I think he can blow kisses if he likes." That is the problem with Furies... no sense of humor. I tried again. "Look, if that Shadowlord over there blew me a kiss, I would hand him his lips. Joachim's okay." 

Two spots of color glowed in her cheeks. "I do not understand why a woman would tolerate it. We are entitled to respect - "

__

Twang. Was that my temper fraying? "If we earn it. I find something worthwhile only if I have to work for it, and I don't get respect just because I have tits. You Furies - you think you are so tough, your little girls' club." I stared hard at her. "You are exactly the opposite." 

I wondered at her Auspice, watching the temper flash in her eyes; finally she responded to insult like a Garou. She swayed toward me again, aggression in every line of her. "Are you saying that my Tribe is _weaker_ because we are women?"

"I am." I squared my own shoulders, settled onto the balls of my feet, and let her decide - wisely - to stand down. "You cannot know your measure until someone pushes you... and you cannot be truly pushed if you limit the players to exactly half of the population. You're just like the Get that way." I turned a shoulder to her, and looked hopefully for Jack. Ah, there, with half my drink order in hand. 

"You actually believe that?" Poor Diana: she sounded as if someone had popped her favorite balloon. "That we are no better than the Get?"

"That's exactly what I believe. _No better_." I gathered Joachim's beer mug in one hand, waited patiently for the pitcher of sangria. I did not bother to look at her, though I could feel her stare digging into me. The bartender slid the sangria into my other hand, and shot me a harried smile.

"Thanks, Jack," I told him. "Put it on the tab." 

"Sure, Devon." His eyes darted toward Diana, and back. "No blood on the bar, okay?"

I smiled at him - a real one, because Jack is a nice guy, and puts up with the three of us - turned round, and almost walked into Diana. "You," I muttered as the sangria sloshed perilously, "are beginning to get on my nerves." 

"You have insulted my Tribe." Oh dear God, she was trying to block my path. Her little fists were balled up at her sides. 

Even with my hands full, I could kill her. If she pushed me much further, I'd seriously consider it. Beyond her, I saw Joachim step round his chair; Tonio was already halfway to me. Odd; I did not need help with one baby Fury, and they knew it. Maybe they wanted to save their drinks from disaster. Behind me, I heard Jack begin to swear inventively. I shifted the beer mug to the sangria hand, and freed up one fist. "Does your pack leader know you're out after curfew?" 

"As a matter of fact, I do." _That_ voice was both familiar, and too close to me for comfort. No wonder Tonio was on his way. "I told her you weren't really a woman, but she didn't listen." 

I turned partway to Adrienne - did not quite take my eyes off Diana - and smiled sweetly. "Should have known she was one of yours." Adrienne and I go way back, and we've hated each other cordially the whole time. "Call her off before she gets hurt." 

"Cocky as ever. Where are your little men?" I could hear the smirk, even if I could not see it. 

"I don't need anyone's help to kick your ass, _cherie_ - and hers, if you decide it will take two of you." Now I did shift my attention from Diana and onto Adrienne - because Tonio was exactly a half a step off the younger Fury's shoulder, and Joachim only three steps behind him. Adrienne looked exactly as I remembered... like Xena on steroids. 

"Is that a promise, Devon? The boys stay out of things?" She hulked over me, trying for intimidation; I stared up at her and did not give an inch. 

"Hell no." Tonio's voice made Diana jump, and she spun around to face him. He ignored her. "Hi, Adrienne." 

Adrienne smiled like a very sated cat. "Tonio. How nice to see you again. Afraid Devon can't handle me on her own?"

"She has before." Tonio has a way of looking utterly relaxed and utterly prepared to kill you at the same time. "Afraid to face _me_?"

"Hardly." Adrienne's eyes flickered from me to Tonio and beyond. "Ah. Joachim. I wondered when you'd show." 

"Hate to disappoint my fans." Joachim glided past me lightly, relieved me of the sangria and beer along the way. I heard them thud to safety on the bar behind me. "Yo, Adrienne." 

She shot him a look of purest venom, eyes tracking him as he settled on a barstool. "Get a new joke."

"Nah. This one still works." I could imagine the smirk he must be wearing. Adrienne's face darkened with rage. 

I smiled lazily at Adrienne, and extended the expression to Diana, who had begun to edge away from Tonio. "Go away," I said pleasantly. 

Of course by now we'd attracted attention. Poor Jack muttered at the bar, expanding his curses to include all the Tribes, as the Get from across the room stood up and stared at the lot of us with real interest. The rest of Adrienne's pack made an angry barrier near the door. Even the soused Fianna at the end of the bar noticed the tension; he swung his head and peered blearily down at us.

Tonio and I exchanged glances. Yes, the odds sucked. They always did. 

Adrienne looked at the three of us, at the Get, then back at Joachim. Their eyes locked somewhere over my head, and then Adrienne surprised us all by looking away. "Come on, Diana." She turned on her heel, favoring me with one last blistering glare. "If you ever decide to be a woman, Devon, be sure to let us know." And she stalked away, leaving me to either shout at her back or let her comment hang unanswered. I have always hated people who storm out of arguments. 

"Thank God," Jack muttered behind us. 

"Heh." Joachim slid off the stool, picked up the pitcher and mug himself this time. "Now, since Devon can't seem to get drinks for us, I guess I will." 

"Bite me," I advised, and he laughed.

We threaded our way back to our table, past the Get pack's scrutiny. And we heard one say, pitched for us to hear: "The Glasswalkers are improving. See how they vanquished the little girls. Soon they will be ready for the real Tribes." 

Joachim didn't miss a beat - just let the drinks thump to safety on the table, and turned and showed the Get an unmistakable hand gesture. "This real enough for you?" 

Tonio sighed, almost too softly to hear: "There are _seven_ of them." But he tossed out his best cocky Ahroun grin, the one with narrow eyes and no humor at all. 

I rolled my eyes at the Get. "Put that down," I told Joachim. "You're going to make him jealous." 

And that finished it, of course. The Get roared and came for us. But at least we were together when hell broke loose. 


End file.
